What 11 (SmartDrive) Means
Fault 11 covers SmartDrive phases 1 to 6 and reports a negative pressure while the module was measuring the water level. F&P offers a specific explanation: reconnecting the pressure tube to the sensor while the bowl is partly filled traps the wrong reference, which produces exactly this reading.
Common Causes of 11 (SmartDrive)
- The pressure tube reconnected while the bowl still held water
- Water trapped in the pressure tube
- A sensing circuit reading below its valid range
🔧 One Safe Check You Can Try
Make sure the bowl is fully pumped out, then unplug the machine, pull the pressure tube off the sensor to release any water sitting in it, and reconnect it properly. That is F&P's documented first action.
⚠ Why You Shouldn't Go Further Than That
- Unplug the machine before the tube is disconnected, since the sensor end sits with the mains-fed control electronics.
- Refitting the tube with the bowl part-filled recreates the very condition the code describes, so the order of operations genuinely matters here.
- Blowing water out of the tube towards the tub end is safer than towards the sensor, where a slug of water becomes a module problem.
- A tube that has hardened with age splits at the spigot when pushed back on, which turns a five minute job into a parts wait.
Opening a panel to inspect or repair something yourself doesn't automatically cancel your manufacturer's warranty — but it can risk accidental damage, and some manufacturers do have specific service conditions. Check your product's warranty terms, or ask us, before deciding.